Transport funds ‘beneficial but not enough’

26 March 2007

Local authorities, including Liverpool and Newcastle, are earmarking millions of pounds for road and transport improvements to be rolled out this year as part of their local transport plan (LTP) funding.
But the money is not enough for local authorities to deliver ambitious additional projects outlined by central government, the Local Government Association believes.
Liverpool City Council is expected to approve its £36M transportation capital programme for the 2007/2008 year for Merseyside, but only a little more than £10M is government funded. The council had to find external funding of £25M to complete the programme, including £11M of European regional funding and £5M from the Northwest Regional Development Agency.
The council’s programme includes major highway works, such as improving one of the main gateways to the city centre; road regeneration schemes; a city centre movement strategy to improve the public realm; upgrading streetlighting; and further spending on the safer routes to schools scheme.
Executive member for regeneration and transport, Councillor Peter Millea, said the government funding was ‘not enough, in the way that it’s handed out’. Because Liverpool did not have a big congestion problem, the council did not see it should apply for money to investigate the issue. Cllr Millea said local authorities had to ‘dance to the Government’s tune’ or they would not get funding.
Northumberland County Council, meanwhile, will invest £19.3M in road resurfacing, better streetlighting, integrated transport projects, and bridge repairs. It will also spend £1.3M on road safety schemes, such as junction improvements, traffic calming and measures for pedestrians. City of York Council is expected to approve £9M worth of transport improvements, including more than £3M in structural repair and maintenance of the city’s roads, paths, streetlights, drains and bridges; £800,000 on footpaths maintenance; and £1.5M on road repairs. The council also aims to invest £519,000 in bus services and £3.3M in roundabouts and link roads.
While the integrated transport improvements funding was beneficial to local authorities, it was still ‘not enough’, a spokeswoman from the LGA said. ‘LTPs have resulted in an increase in funding, but they still need to be funded by local authorities’ own budgets.’ Ambitious projects mooted by central government, such as congestion charging, road pricing and road safety, meant councils had to source additional external funding or dip into their own capital funds, she said.

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Transport funds ‘beneficial but not enough’

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